Making Ships

posted on November 5th, 2012, 3:06 am

I have 3dsmax 2012 but don't know how to use it yet. A few questions:

1. How do I work with .SOD and .MOD file types? (.MOD files so I can modify ships from SFC2/SFCOP)
2. What is the best way to make a ship model?
3. How do I make a ship look like it belongs in Fleetops?

posted on November 5th, 2012, 3:37 am

1. How do I work with .SOD and .MOD file types? (.MOD files so I can modify ships from SFC2/SFCOP)

Well, if you had Milkshape 3D, you could convert your .MOD files into .SODs. Unfortionatly, 3DS MAX cant access these. As for .SODs, you can only create them.

2. What is the best way to make a ship model?

Well, most people use Maya and MAX, but I use Google Sketch Up. Its flexable enough for me to use with ease.

3. How do I make a ship look like it belongs in Fleetops?

Well, it depends on the faction. For this, you need to look at the models available in game. Try and match the style and texture of the ships and stations.

For example; the Federation use a design that has a round dish attached to a secondary hull, which has the warp nacelles attached by pilons. (The Defiant is an exception.) The dish design is to allow the ship to 'surf' the 'currents' of subspace, while the pilons keep the engines away from the ship, preventing the crew from getting any kind of radiation from them.

Borg ships have a design that uses basic shapes (like the cube) as their vessel design. This is the way they beleave a perfect vessel should look, as it provides many emitters for their ships to fire from.

Base the ship off this thinking, and it should fit.

Does this help?

posted on November 5th, 2012, 2:53 pm

if you had Milkshape 3D, you could convert your .MOD files into .SODs. Unfortionatly, 3DS MAX cant access these. As for .SODs, you can only create them.

I have Milkshape 3D 1.8.4 as well. What should I convert .MODs into to use them in 3dsmax?

]Well, most people use Maya and MAX, but I use Google Sketch Up. Its flexible enough for me to use with ease.

I have never heard of Google Sketch Up. I'll look into it.

posted on November 5th, 2012, 3:41 pm

I have Milkshape 3D 1.8.4 as well. What should I convert .MODs into to use them in 3dsmax?

On Filefront, now GameFront i think, you can download a plugin that allows you to make SOD files, as well as MOD files.

You can also read SODs, but I think its limited to the 'stock' SODs from Armada II.

posted on November 5th, 2012, 9:57 pm

Might I ask a question?

I have the full (i.e "unlimited" ) importer for Milkshape 3d. Would anyone find it useful? And would anyone here blow a gasket if I were to upload it to mediafire or the like and share it?

posted on November 6th, 2012, 12:42 am

Hi, Squire James,

I think you know what happened when the unlimited Importer was made public the first time.

People vented a lot of steam. Some people got trouble with stolen designs (ships and stations),and most importantly the number of new material for Armada1 / 2 has gone down drastically.

On armada2 filefront for example just 29 releases this year until now and nothing new on AFC since January 2012.

So both websites are in trouble or literally dead.

Most old modders have left the scene, is it coincidence? Maybe. The community had its problems over time, and people are getting older.

But judging from some comments then, I know that several are holding back their work.


On the other side, if new people come up, use it to learn and show some new talent. It might be good for us all.
Might revive the community a bit. But depends greatly on the honesty of the prospective users. Well, I just hope the best.

posted on November 6th, 2012, 1:01 am

Without trying to continue a big discussion about this, I'll say a few things:

1. As far as I recall, there were lots of accusations of stealing, but no actual stealing at the time. Only several years later were there sworn statements that there was stealing going on, but no actual proof, just finger pointing, including at Fleet Ops several times. I even had people point me to their old posts to say that there was stealing, but those old threads only stated that there was the possibility of stealing and that it would break up the community etc.

2. Material for Armada 1 and 2 going down I'd say is completely separate of any possibility of stealing or what not. Frankly, you're hard pressed to find someone who can even run Armada 1. Armada 2 is likewise a 10 year old buggy game, running on fewer and fewer computers, made with fewer than 200k copies. People move on, and it's relatively interesting that either of those two games lasted as long as they did. Modding on its own cannot keep a community going - you need players to cycle in. A2files is a mess, practically non-functioning in so many ways for the past 2 years. Lastly, a community is really not made of a dozen active modders more or less for 5+ years.

3. There are other (pay) programs that can be used to convert these models already as far as I know for many years, so I don't think one more will make a difference here. I don't think there's much interest in stealing if there ever even was, and even if somebody did, I think it's a small enough community that a chat can be had . I don't think there's any need to have warnings or whatever, the unlocked importer has been passed around for a very long time and available on several websites for at least 2 years at a time, and nothing happened in that time.

posted on November 6th, 2012, 2:22 am

Might I ask a question?

I have the full (i.e "unlimited" ) importer for Milkshape 3d. Would anyone find it useful? And would anyone here blow a gasket if I were to upload it to mediafire or the like and share it?

People are free to give it away privately to trusted individuals, but I think It is still not quite appropriate to release it publicly. Its too easy to steal work, and there are so few modlers left that alienating even one would be a major blow to whats left of the community.

While I agree with Shadow's perspective, people need to earn the right to use other peoples work like that. We still have jetnova's lurking about.

posted on November 6th, 2012, 10:07 am

Alright, just thought i'd ask.

It does strike me as odd though. Other games have importers and I've never seen such a huge fuss made over the theft of models. For example. Starfleet Command. .Mod files are easily imported in Milkshape.

It seems to be a hysteria that only effects the Armada community. I think trying to attribute the decline in popularity of a decade old game to an importer is a bit of a stretch. I know it's US election day but..

Also, as Noctis says, if you get Ultimate Unwrap 3d, you can import SODs anyway. Their website even distributes an importer.

But the Ms3d importer will stay safely stowed on my HDD if people have a problem with it existing...

posted on November 6th, 2012, 1:46 pm

Do not get me wrong, I am not totally opposed to the publication. I am just cautious, a lot of the older modders have faded away (from Armada), but are still around.
They just do not publish anymore on AFC and Armada2filefront.
This process started when the importer first came out.

Just check out some of the “Pictures of the Day” at armada2filefront. Several contain material which is not or not easily available to the public.

At the current state of the community there are only 2 possible effects,
One: it might drive away the last of the older experienced ones (which I hope will not happen)or
Two: create some new talent (hopefully).

I have no problem with it if someone looks into my stuff and learns from it. If you want to, do so.
But I can speak only for my self.

I suggest that you give the importer to trusted persons on a personal basis only. So you do not alienate the more sensible modders and help to create new talent.

posted on November 6th, 2012, 2:20 pm

Do not get me wrong, I am not totally opposed to the publication. I am just cautious, a lot of the older modders have faded away (from Armada), but are still around.
They just do not publish anymore on AFC and Armada2filefront.
This process started when the importer first came out.

Just check out some of the “Pictures of the Day” at armada2filefront. Several contain material which is not or not easily available to the public.

To be honest, most of that stuff is from msfc, an it has suffered from the same thing I think we should try and prevent here. People have joined up and almost immediately stolen models resulting in very strict, and unfortunately necessary, downloading rules. As far as I know, everyone currently active on msfc has access to the downloads, but you are right, and I don't think they count as publicly available.

posted on November 6th, 2012, 7:49 pm

EDIT: Decided to rephrase this. I have had personal dealings with Majest and I don't much care for the way he runs his site. I personally think it has more to do with stroking his ego than it does "file security". I'll leave it at that. It's a situation that caused much anguish for me, ergo it's difficult to be completely objective on the matter.

As mentioned, Armada is over a decade old now, and Armada II not much younger, it's natural that interest dies down, fan sites close etc. AFC, whilst I am very sad to have seen deteriorate, has had it's life cycle. A2Files, well people finally realised that the admin there (one in particular) were way too full of themselves and they essentially alienated their own fanbase from that point on.. It's all too common with the xFiles network actually. I've seen several sites become ghost towns due to overzealous admins and the like treating it like their own private game of The Sims.

I am very grateful to the community here, and it's leaders, that have kept the community alive and fresh with their coding breakthroughs and such, and for allowing me to once again be a part of it. Hence my respecting their wishes and not releasing the importer. I won't release it, but it puzzles me as to why people want to blame an inanimate importer for the "death" of the Armada community when in fact it was just the natural life cycle for a game.

Also, regarding it's use. Yes it can be used for altering and "stealing" others models. However, it's main usage for beginners is the ability to export their model without a hierarchy and reimport it with a default hierarchy created. Anyone caught claiming that others models are their own will quickly be caught out in a community this small anyway. It's like a village of 10 people worrying that someone will steal one of their possessions. There are that few people around that it will be immediately obvious who stole it and from whom if they do.

posted on January 4th, 2013, 9:45 am

EDIT: Decided to rephrase this. I have had personal dealings with Majest and I don't much care for the way he runs his site. I personally think it has more to do with stroking his ego than it does "file security". I'll leave it at that. It's a situation that caused much anguish for me, ergo it's difficult to be completely objective on the matter.

Ha! and I thought you had changed. I have my opinions about you as well, but I have refrained from stating them publicly, even as recently as a week or so ago when someone commented on your work in my own thread. Nice to see the courtesy is returned.

I even said today to one of my staff that I might consider giving you another go on MSFC, despite your past trying to turn the A2Files and MSFC staff against one another. Thanks for showing me that such a decision like giving you another go would've been a mistake.

Oh and one day when your models are ripped taken and then claimed as the theft's I'd like to see how you take that. Ego nope (and you're one to talk), it's security as I do ask for the input of the MSFC Community and they are the ones that have an equal say in the decision. It's a majority vote after all.

I am also surprised such a post has been allowed to remain here for this long.